Reality is more important than ideas. Unless one acknowledges this truth, we will only be living in a dreamland and never be able to make a meaningful impact on life itself.
The simple fact, especially for us Salesians, is the notion of youth ministry. However, youth is an abstract notion. In reality there is no youth. There are only young people. And unless and until we interact with those young people, in person, in the concrete situations of our life (and their lives), our youth ministry would be excellent only paper but not in reality. Our starting point has to be the young people immersed in their context. Starting with the abstract notion of youth will only lead us astray.
Together with this fundamental truth, it is also equally important that we begin with the premise that we are going to encounter God in the young people, not get them back to God. We do not have monopoly over God. He is already present with the young in their situatedness. We only need to be open and available to Him, in and through the young - rather than approach the young as if we are the one's offering God to them!
No comments:
Post a Comment